UEFA Conference League: All knockout stage matchups and dates

The six matchdays of the League Phase of the Conference League concluded on Thursday evening (18/12), and the 24 teams advancing to the knockout stages are now known, along with the 12 teams that will say goodbye to European competition.

The top eight — including AEK, which finished 3rd in the final standings after its epic comeback and 3-2 victory over Craiova — advance directly to the Round of 16 (matches on 12 and 19 March), CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

The teams finishing 9th–24th will face each other in the knockout play-off round to enter the Round of 16 (matches on 19 and 26 February).

The potential pairings are already known and will be finalized in the draw on Friday, 16 January 2026, at the House of European Football, UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The eight teams advancing directly to the Round of 16: Strasbourg, Raków, AEK, Sparta Prague, Rayo Vallecano, Shakhtar Donetsk, Mainz, AEK Larnaca.

Knockout play-off draw:

1. Lausanne / Crystal Palace – Zrinjski / Sigma Olomouc

2. Lech Poznań / Samsunspor – Kuopio / Shkëndija

3. Celje / Alkmaar – Noah / Drita

4. Fiorentina / Rijeka – Jagiellonia / Omonia

As reported by CE Reported, Zlatan Ibrahimović’s son signed a contract with AC Milan.

Round of 16 matchups:

• Winners 1 – Mainz or AEK Larnaca

• Winners 2 – Rayo Vallecano or Shakhtar Donetsk

• Winners 3 – AEK or Sparta Prague

• Winners 4 – Strasbourg or Raków

Dates for the next stages:

• Knockout play-off phase: 19 & 26 February 2026

• Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026

• Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026

• Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026

• Final: 27 May 2026 in Leipzig